Sunday, November 22, 2009

review: the sugarless plum by zippora karz

The Sugarless Plum is the story of a ballerina who is diagnosed with diabetes just as her career is really taking off. During the introductory chapters, Zippora Karz's compelling writing conveys the urgency of her situation. The story slows after that to revisit her childhood and the start of her dancing career. Her story is told in an easy chronology with just enough detail. When Karz gets to the point of her first (mis)diagnosis, it's clear how ballet has consumed her and why she would take health risks in order to not appear too sick to dance. That Karz had such a successful career and now lives a healthy life managing diabetes makes the story all the more amazing.5/5